Apparatus for effecting selection of wheat-grains for sowing.



, Patented July ll, l899. J. F. MATHIAS. I APPARATUS FOR EFFECTINGSELECTION OF WHEAT GRAINS FOR SOWLNG.

(Application filed. Apr. 5, 1898.)

5 Sheets-Shem I.

(No Model.)

INVENTM? Patentad July ll, I899.

J. F. MATHIAS. APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SELECTION OF WHEAT GRAINS FOBSOWING.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1898.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

,JALKEN TOR. W

ATT Exs.

No. 628,827. Patented July 1:, 18991.

- .1. F. MATHIAS.

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SELECTION OF WHEAT GRAINS FUR SOWINE.

' (Application filed Apr. 5, 1898.)

{No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

m: uoaals PETERS c0 wonyumou WASHINGTON. n. c.

No. 628,827. Patented July ll, I899.

.1. F. MATHIAS.

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SELECTION OF WHEAT GRAINS FOB SUWING.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1898.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

my: mums PETERS PNpTO-LITHQ.. wnsumc'ron. D. c.

Patented July ll, I899. J. F. MATHIAS.

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SELECTION OF WHEAT GRAINS FUR SOWING.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1992s.

5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

AT nivr FFTGE JULES FRANCOIS MATI-IIAS, OF GONESSE, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING SELECTION OF WHEAT-GRAINS FOR SOWING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Batent No. 628,827, dated July 11,1899. Application filed April 5, 1898. Serial No. 676,514. (No moclehlTo all whom it Ill/]] concern:

Be it known that 1, Jonas FRANgoIs MA.- THIAS, a citizen of the Republicof France, residing at Gonesse, (Seine-et-Oise,) France, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Effecting the Selection of"Wheat-Grains for the Purpose of Sowing, which is fully set forth in thefollowing speci fication.

The selection of seed-grain is a necessary operation when it is desiredto obtain good harvests and not to see the said harvests diminishing ina few years by reason of a constant degeneration of the grain. For thispurpose the growers are obliged every three or four years to renew theirseed-grain by procuring supplies from specialists who cultivatehiglrquality grain and sell them at relatively high prices. Thisdegeneration is easily explained. For example, with reference to thecultivation of wheat, if we c011- sider a field that has been sown forthe first time with high-quality grain the average of the grain obtainedat the harvest will be appreciably inferior (all things remaining thesame) as regards size and quality to that which is first sown as seed.Certainly the harvest will produce a certain quantity of grain of equalquality to that which has been sown, but very much greater quantity ofinferior grain as regards size and quality. If the next year anothersowing be made with grain taken indifferently from the first harvest,the second harvest will be still inferior to the preceding harvest, andso on from year to year the proportion of fine grain will di minish, andthe yield will become less. This degeneration therefore compels thegrower to sow his land with a fresh quantity of choice grain underpenalty of otherwise having gradually-decreasing harvests. Theprogressive increase of degeneration is due to three principal causes.

First. Whatever may be the means of sow lng ordinarily employed it isimpossible .to avoid a crowding together and sowing too closely of thescattered seed, which facts are injurious to the normal development ofthe plant, because the plant has not then a sufficient space fordevelopment and nourishment. It grows badly and produces cars which arenot so fine, and consequently yield grain of lower quality than theoriginal seed.

Second. On the other hand, the sown grain does not all grow up nor doesit always grow under favorable conditions, and according as the land ismanured with more or less regu larity or that certain portions thereofare more or less fertile or are situated under different conditions ofexposure to the atmospheric influences the plants 'will form ears ofbetter or worse quality.

Third. The principal cause (which is the one which my machine isdesigned to obviate) consists in the absence of a perfect and practicalselection of the best grain obtained at each harvest and which ought tobe kept back for seeding purposes. This last cause aggravates andmultiplies the chances of degeneration referred to in the two precedingparagraphs in the sense that in the following years the grain will beemployed as seed, of which the greater part will be of less good qualityat starting, and therefore can only produce in their turngrain which ismore or less degenerated.

It would not be the same state of affairs if the grower could select thevery best grain of his harvest and employ it exclusively for sowingpurposes, because in such a case he would do away with the principalcause of evil, he

would surely improve his cultivation, and he would obtain greater yieldin his harvests; but in order to obtain these results the means ofselection are wanting, and although winnowingmachines andsorting-machines of the most improved kind tend toward this object they,however, attain this object only in an imperfect degree. On the otherhand, the grower cannot get his grain sorted out which is necessary tohim for sowing purposes on account of practical and economical reasons.

Now my invention has for its object to effect after the winnowingoperation the selection of the finest and largest grain of each harvestin order to reserve it for seed-grain.

This invention is also applicable to all sort ing purposes and to alldivisions of grain and the like, such as food-grains.

The various grainsorting apparatus at present known consist of socketapparatus or recessed apparatus, lattice-work with greater or less sizeof mesh, and divers sieves. These apparatus produce only very imperfectsorting and do not allow of effecting regular divisions and a goodselection. The means which I employ to obtain this result is different.According to my invention the sorting is eifected on a'grating formed bycylindrical bars, which are suitably inclined and ata suit able distancefrom one another. This distance varies according to the size of thegrain thatis sorted. The bars of which this grating is composed haveimparted to them an alternating rotary motion and they all turnsimultaneouslyin one and the same direction. On placing grain upon theupper part of the grating all those grains which have .a diametersmaller than the distance between the bars dropthrough the bars andthrough the grating. Now, on the contrary, those of the larger diameterthan the said distance will become engaged between the bars in thevacant spaces formed by the intervals of the bars. These intervals forma sort of channel in which the grains of a sufficient size becomeengaged; but the rotary motion and the inclination of the bars carrythese grains along, which, by gravity, following these channels in thedirection of the inclination and turning on their own axis, travel tothe lower end of the grating. they leave the bars and drop by their ownweight into a funnel which collects and receives them. That is theprinciple of my apparatus.

Now in order to render the hereinafterstated explanations as clear aspossible, I have illustrated my new apparatus, by way of example, in theaccompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is the sideelevation thereof. Fig. 3 is the plan view, and Figs. at and 5 show thedetails of the mechanism on a larger scale.

My selecting apparatus consists of an iron frame Gr, supporting themechanism, and the distributing-channels 7a m. Upon this frame thererests a frame H, of cast-iron, which carries the selecting-bars I. Thesebars receive an alternating rotary motion in consequence of the frictionupon them of the straight bar j, which is operated by the connecting-rodK, that is itself driven by the crank-disk L, keyed on the motor-shaftM. The framing G consists of two bent angle-irons of horseshoe shape andof different heights, so as to produce the inclined position of theframe H. They are placed parallel to each other and are connectedtogether by means of ties or stays N, Fig. 2.

The frame H, which is fixed on the framingby means of bolts 0, is formedwith two longitudinal grooves P, Figs. at and 5, which serve as a meansfor regulating the distance apart of the bars I. The ends of the barsare smaller in diameter than their middle portion, which sorts thegrain, and the said ends rest in rings Q, Fig. 4, which serve as bear-WVhen they have arrived at this point,

ings for the same. The distance apart of the bars is produced by meansof the following arrangement:

In the intervals between the bearing-rings Q,at their upper part,thereare arranged small rollers WV, Fig. 4, of the same diameter, upon whicha certain pressure can be exerted by means of the straight bars R, Figs.4 and 5. These bars R are acted upon bysprings S, whose tension can beincreased by means of the screws T. The small rollers WV may be replacedby balls maintained in a triangular groove formed in the lower face ofthe straight bar R or by any suitable means. I also reserve the right ofdispensing with the springs S and of acting directly on the bar R bymeans of the screws T. The last bars on the right hand are arrested bystops, while the lefthand bars are capable of moving to a greater orless extent, according to the position of the rods U. The position ofthese rods-U, it is obvious, can be varied by acting upon the pinion Vby means of the endless screw X, mounted on a shaft 11 which carries thehand operating-wheel Z, Figs. 3 and 4-.

Let us suppose, for a moment, that the rods U are pushed in to theirfullest extent-that is to say, that there is no longer any space betweenthe rings Q. If it is then desired to increase the distance between thesortingbars I, it is clearly sufficient to act upon the wheel Z in sucha manner as to regulate the rods U. Then at once by the action of thestraight bars R, which bear upon the rollers W, the latter will entermore deeply between the'rin gs Q and the sorting-bars I will be movedfarther apart from one another, but alLto an equal distance.

The straight bar j, which imparts an alternating circular motion to thesorting-bars I, is

' fitted at its lower part with a rubber tube a,

strongly inflated or expanded,which increases the friction ofthe saidstraight bar upon the bars I. The pressure of the straight bar j uponthe bars I is elfected by means of compression-screws b and the plates0, Fig. 5. The motor-shaft M rests upon two blocks or collars d, Fig. 3,fixed on the frame G. This shaft carries two pulleys e for driving theapparatus by means of shafting or belting, and it also carries a wheelF, which may be provided with a handle for driving by hand.

The grains to be sorted are charged into a .hopper g, Figs. 1 and 2,arranged above the bars I. This hopper is provided at its lower partwith small inclined shutters or gates h, which divide the bottom intoseveral compartments. The grains which have passed in the spaces betweenthe sorting-bars fall into a chute 7c, arranged underneath; but thegrains, on the contrary, which have not been able to pass through thespaces between the bars fall through the larger spaces Z and drop into apassage m, placed underneath. It is to be understood that the straightbars j instead of having an alternate to-and-fro movement, as abovedescribed, might be replaced by any suitable part which shall transmitto the bars a continuous rotary motion in the same direction and not analternate to-and-fro motion. These bars might also, instead of formingan inclined plane, be arranged horizontally. In this case, then, thegrain which remained on the bars would be removed by any suitablemechanical means.

The above-described sorting-machine may also, if desired, be combinedwith a winnowing-machine of any kind. I

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- 1. The combinationof asuitably-supported hopper, rotary sorting-bars arranged thereinalongside of each other, a friction-bar passing throughthe hopper,across andin contact with said sorting-bars, and means for reciprocatingsaid friction-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a suitably-supported hopper, rotary sorting-barsarranged therein, a friction-bar having a rubber tube on one side, incontact with said sorting-bars, and means for reciprocating saidfriction-bar, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a frame having suitable grooves, rotarysorting-bars, the ends of which extend into said grooves, balls orrollers between the ends of said sorting-bars, means for compressingsaid bars, in the plane thereof, and pressure-bars arranged in saidgrooves and resting on said balls or rollers, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JULES FRANQOIS MATHIAS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MAcLEAN, ANTOINE ROUSSANNES.

